The long-term objectives of this proposal are to enable the candidate to become an independent, responsible and productive academic researcher in cancer prevention and control, with a specific goal to identify genes involved in the pre-disposition, risk modification or survivorship of common cancers. The objective towards gene identification will be pursued specifically through the development and application of novel methodologies. The candidate's immediate career goals are to implement a change in career focus to concentrate on cancer research, facilitated by working primarily with unique Utah cancer resources and developing methodologies specific to these resources. The career development plan consists of coursework (cancer biology and genetics, epidemiology, bio-ethics, management and programming); attendance at relevant seminars; directed readings; curriculum development; participation at workshops and scientific meetings; mentored research training, both disease-specific and methodologic; and methodological and cancer-related collaborations. These activities will complement and develop the current skills, knowledge and experience of the candidate. The research plan proposed is relevant to many genetic epidemiologic research areas that the NCI has highlighted as important, including genetic predisposition to cancer, cancer survivorship, and biostatistics. The specific aims of this proposal are to develop and perform novel methodologies for the analysis of familiality, disease association and survival, and genetic linkage for common cancers. In addition, the candidate will investigate methods for the determination of appropriate significance thresholds for these analyses. The combination of these career development activities and research plan will aid the candidate's development towards the achievement of short- and long-term career goals, while also contributing to the advancement of cancer research in general.